This special event, which we put on every two years as a thank you to our Patrons, will be performed twice, on 9th and 10th March, both at 7.30pm in the Brewhouse.
We've changed the format this year and are delighted to announce that our hosts for the evening will be HRH Princess Elizabeth and HRH Prince Philip (also known as Olivia and Tim Robinson) who graced our stage last year in 'Betty Blue Eyes'.
In addition to some live music performances, we will be performing two one act plays by Alan Ayckbourn and showing a film featuring the very best of past LTC Youth productions.
To become a patron, giving you two FREE tickets to this event, as well as other benefits, for a minimum annual donation of £15, please visit our website HERE
We are grateful to all our private and corporate patrons who support our work with an annual donation.
Patrons are thanked through publication of their names in our souvenir programmes sold in the foyer and bar area at all our shows.
Corporate patrons - all local businesses - are also thanked through a section of the website where they each have a page.
To see the full list of all corporate patrons click HERE
OUR NEXT PRODUCTION - SOUTH PACIFIC
Tuesday 3rd to Saturday 7th April
at 7.30pm each evening and Thursday & Saturday matinees at 2.30pm
You really don't want to miss this classic Rodgers and Hammerstein show presented by our extremely talented LTC Youth. Reviewing their 2017 production of "Les Miserables" in the Burton Mail, Caroline Kay wrote: "LTC Youth is packed with home-grown talent and if I didn't know better I would think I had watched a professional production......the complete ensemble is pure perfection."
You'll need to act quickly to be sure of tickets. They are available from the Brewhouse Box office: 01283 508100, the LTC Box Office: 01283 542446 or via secure on-line booking on the LTC website HERE
THE 2018 LAFTAs
It was another evening of glitz and glamour when LTC members gathered at the Brewhouse on 6th January to remember and celebrate our 2017 productions.
The LTC Youth's production of "Les Miserables" swept the board, winning a total of 12 Laftas, including Oliver Last for Best Actor in a leading role. However, "Betty Blue Eyes" picked up the Best Actress in a Leading role for Katie Haywood, and Best Supporting Actress for Karen Hailstone for munching her way through the show as Mother Dearest. Oliver and Katie are pictured below receiving their awards.
COMING UP IN JUNE....
Our summer production is "One Man, Two Guvnors" by Richard Bean, an English adaptation of the 1746 Italian play "Servant of Two Masters". Bean's play replaces the Italian period setting with Brighton in 1963. The play opened at the National Theatre in 2011 to great critical acclaim. The Guardian gave it 5 stars, saying that it was "A triumph of visual and verbal comedy. One of the funniest productions in the National's history" and it won Best Play at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. James Corden reprised his leading role of Francis Hensall when it opened on Broadway the following year, winning Tony award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play.
This is a guaranteed, laugh-out-loud show which we will be performing Tuesday 12th - Saturday 16th June 2018, including a Saturday matinee. Tickets will be available soon.
We thought it might be fun to find out more about one of our members in each newsletter by asking them some drama-related questions. And who better to start with than Artistic Director John Bowness!
Favourite Film/Movie?Cannot decide between "Meet Joe Black" and "Funny Girl"
Best production you’ve seen in the theatre? "Betty Blue Eyes" in the West End - a totally joyous theatrical experience
Which part that you’ve performed has been your absolute favourite? And why?Alan Strang in "Equus" because it was the only time I have felt 100% overtaken and absorbed in the character
Which part in which play/film would you most like to have performed? Hamlet
Favourite Actor?Brad Pitt. Meet Joe Black and Legends of the Fall ...enough said!
Favourite Actress?Juliet Stevenson. Jaw dropping in Truly, Madly, Deeply ...and that voice!
What/who do you like to watch on TV?A thumping good drama, an enthralling murder mystery and Emmerdale which combines both on a weekly basis!
Is there a young actor/actress you tip for future stardom? Watch out for Finn Elliot (who was mesmerising as young Prince Philip in "The Crown")
Favourite LTC moment?The first night of LTC Youth's Les Miserables in 2009 - I was an emotional wreck all night
Advice to a young actor?Find the truth and always be honest with yourself.
From the world of film and theatre, now and in the past, who are the six people you’d invite round for dinner? Barbra Streisand, Brad Pitt, Victoria Wood, Baz Luhrmann, J K Rowling and Nicholas Hytner. All of them inspirational perfectionists!
JUST A CLICK FROM YOU CAN HELP US RAISE MONEY FOR THE LTC!
The Little Theatre Company is committed to producing quality theatre but it comes at a cost, and those costs are steadily rising. Apart from hiring the Brewhouse auditorium for our shows, we need considerable funds for rehearsal space, for sets and scripts, costumes and wigs, never mind the licensing costs to allow us to perform a particular show. Revenue from tickets rarely covers our overall expenditure.
We are therefore delighted to introduce you to Amazon Smile - a simple and automatic way for you to support our charity every time you shop at Amazon, at absolutely no cost to you.
When you shop at smile.amazon.co.uk, and select the "Little Theatre Company" as your chosen charity, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as amazon.co.uk, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to the LTC!
Click on “your account” in the top right-hand corner.
Click on “choose/change your charity”.
Select Little Theatre Company. You should receive an email confirmation.
Shop as usual. But don’t forget to log into AmazonSmile every time rather than just Amazon. If you do use the latter by mistake, you should get a warning that you won’t be donating with your purchases and to use AmazonSmile instead.
(You might also want to add a bookmark to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile.)
Your next chance to see the very talented Wil Pearson in concert will be at the National Brewery Centre on Friday 6th April at 7:30pm. The concert, featuring classics from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Bobby Darin, will be raising money for the Screaming Kicks Big Band’s tour of America next October, when Wil and the band will be playing in New Orleans, Boston, San Francisco and Rhode Island. Tickets are £10 - email wil@wilpearson.com to book.
Also on his travels is baritone Ed Robinson. He and other especially selected Royal Northern College of Music students will be performing a recital of French songs at the iconic Opéra Comique in Paris (pictured) with accompanists from the Paris Conservatoire. In May he'll be visiting Norway to record Berlioz's Requiem with the Bergen Philharmonic (one of the world's oldest orchestras) conducted by the renowned Edward Gardner. Closer to home, you can catch Ed in Buxton in July. He's been chosen to be a Buxton Opera Young Artist for 2018 and will be appearing in Verdi's "Alzira" and Mozart's "Idomeneo".
REMEMBERING TONY TAYLOR
We were very sad to learn of the death of Tony Taylor, just before Christmas. Tony was a longstanding LTC member who worked as part of the stage management team on many LTC productions including "My Fair Lady" and (the first) "Les Miserables". He also spent many (we hope) happy hours set-making alongside his big buddy Brian Bancroft for productions such as "The King & I", "Brassed Off" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream". When not occupied with the LTC he was an active member of the Wildlife Trust. A large number of frogs and toads owe their lives to Tony, on escort duty at Repton Hollows ensuring safe passage to their mating grounds! He also used to enjoy donning his knight's costume to do battle at Tutbury Castle when the Historical Society met there. Our sincere condolences to his family and friends.
NEWS FROM CURRENT & FORMER LTC YOUTH MEMBERS
Aaron Titterton, who's playing the US Island Commander Captain George Brackett, in our production of "South Pacific", has been busy recently playing one of his dream roles (and another naval officer), Captain Von Trapp, in "The Sound Of Music" at John Port Spencer Academy.
Over the Christmas period Roberto Storey, who's playing radio operator Bob McCaffrey in "South Pacific" had an amazing experience performing in Derby Theatre's professional production of "Peter Pan". Roberto commented "It was great working with a professional cast and crew and has just made my passion for musical theatre even stronger, wanting me to try even harder to make it on the stage as a professional actor." Roberto's pictured here, third from the top:
Ellie Ann Lowe, pictured above left - whom we remember as Ellen Holmes, our first Fantine - is currently playing one of the lead roles in "Carmen 1808", a new and original musical, at the Union Theatre, London. The show adapts the plot, score and characters of Bizet’s opera "Carmen", and reimagines Bizet’s unforgettable tunes as musical theatre.
Sophie Towns will be disappearing down a rabbit hole at Lincoln's New Theatre Royal over Easter this year, starring as Alice alongside CBBC's Christopher Johnson in "Alice in Wonderland". Break a leg, Sophie!
There's still time to sponsor Katie Ireland (pictured as our 2017 Eponine) who will be jumping out of an aircraft next May to raise money for The Mental Health Foundation. If you can spare a bob or two, you can sponsor her by clicking HERE.
LOOKING FOR AN UNUSUAL PRESENT?
STUCK FOR SOMETHING FOR MOTHER'S DAY?
"I’d been doing a few doodles on my iPad for a while and also started trying out a bit of modern calligraphy. They were just quotes that I’d heard or little drawings that I’d thought of. I’d used Etsy before as a buyer and I also have a friend who sells crochet and knitted items on there, so I thought I might as well have a go at selling my designs! My shop is Penny Farthing Prints and just opened this week.
I sell my designs as A3 and A4 wall art which I print on 200gsm paper, wrap and post to the buyer. Also available are digital download versions of each print so customers can print them instantly at home or in their local print shop instead. I’ve opened with 24 designs but have more ready to release in the coming weeks."
Rehearsals at drama school StageScreen are in full flow for their first ever full length production. The play "The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe" is to be staged by students aged 6-18 on March 24th 2018 at William Allitt School. This is a modern adaptation of Narnia – think Game of Thrones meets Steampunk and you might have something quite close! Meet the Aslan and the Pevensie children as they take on the White Witch! Incorporating all of their training, the production will also showcase the students' work both on and offstage. All sound effects have been sourced and recorded by the students, as well as some animated projections and voice-over work. Tickets are priced at £9.00 (£6.00 concession) and can be booked online by clicking HERE.
....AND DURING THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS....
"The Greatest Showman" starring Hugh Jackman wowed cinema audiences earlier this year. Do you know a youngster who loves the film and the soundtrack? Now under 19’s have an amazing opportunity to train and star in their own music video based on this award winning film. Bookings are already being secured for this year's Summer Intensive programme being run by Burton based drama school StageScreen.
From August 13th to 18th there is a 3 day intensive for those under the age of 10 – culminating in a music video and final performance. For those aged 10-18 there is the opportunity to take part in the 5 day summer intensive – with plans for a spectacular music video! Training will also include singing, dancing, acting and tumbling! There are no prerequisites to taking part – just a willingness to have a go and enjoy it!
